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Apple’s mobile graphics provider Imagination is buying MIPS

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Imagination Technologies, a British-based mobile graphics provider, will buy MIPS, a Sunnyvale, California-headquartered semiconductor design company. The transaction, apparently worth a cool $60 million in cash, is expected to close in the first quarter of 2013. It reportedly includes 82 patents related to the MIPS processor architecture.

This development is interesting knowing that both Apple and Intel have ownership stakes in Imagination, whose PowerVR graphics technology powers Apple’s mobile chips used inside iPhones, iPads and iPods…... Read the rest of this post here


"Apple’s mobile graphics provider Imagination is buying MIPS" is an article by iDownloadBlog.com.
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Apple accelerating custom chip development

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AMD Logo (white background, small)

Apple has seen a few high-profile departures of its silicon experts for graphics giant AMD. For example, Apple’s lead chip designer Jim Keller left the company last August to join AMD’s Mark Papermaster, who was briefly Apple’s VP of iPhone engineering.

Another example: Wayne Meretsky, who is known for his work on Macs and other Apple products, in January became AMD’s VP of Software Development. And perhaps most importantly, director of graphics architecture Raja Koduri in April left for AMD, where he had previously worked before Apple poached him in April 2009.

Now, Apple is striking back. According to a number of job listings and LinkedIn profiles, Apple this year picked up at least a dozen former AMD graphics engineers for Orlando Design Center, its rumored brand new shop for custom chip development. These hires indicate Apple’s accelerated custom chip development as the firm seeks to further distance itself from rivals, whose products mostly incorporate off-the-shelf chips…... Read the rest of this post here


"Apple accelerating custom chip development" is an article by iDownloadBlog.com.
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iPhone 5s iMovie 1080p rendering twice as fast

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Infinity Blade III (iPhone screenshot 002)

Early Geekbench benchmarks of the iPhone 5s seemingly prove Apple’s claim that the new 64-bit A7 chip provides two times greater CPU and GPU performance over its predecessor, the A6 package inside the iPhone 5. Specifically, the iPhone 5s Geekbench score (the new version of the Geekbench app supports 64-bit chips) is close to the early-2010 Mac mini model.

But how do benchmark scores translate into real-world performance in your favorite apps? Blogger Lex McFarley did an interesting head to head test using the iMovie app running on both an iPhone 5s and a previous-generation iPhone 5. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the new phone rendered the video in half the time as the iPhone 5…... Read the rest of this post here


"iPhone 5s iMovie 1080p rendering twice as fast" is an article by iDownloadBlog.com.
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Inside Apple’s A7: dual-core CPU, quad-core GPU, Secure Enclave has 3MB SRAM

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A7 floorplan (Chipworks 001)

Following their initial analysis of the iPhone 5s’s innards, silicon experts at Chipworks have now taken a closer look at the handset’s 64-bit A7 processor to reveal a number of interesting tidbits in their initial low-level chip analysis. Based on transistor-level images of the Apple-designed, Samsung-built package, Chipworks was able to determine that the A7 consists of a dual-core processing core and quad-core graphics, tentatively identified as the four cluster version of Imagination Technologies’s PowerVR Series 6, the G6430.

Apple, along with Intel, is of course an investor with a ten percent stake in Imagination Technologies, the UK-based fabless semiconductor maker. Chipworks also focused on a portion of the A7 chip called Secure Enclave where Apple says fingerprint profile is stored securely and walled off from the entire system, except the Touch ID circuitry…... Read the rest of this post here


"Inside Apple’s A7: dual-core CPU, quad-core GPU, Secure Enclave has 3MB SRAM" is an article by iDownloadBlog.com.
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iPad Air graphics rated up to 70% faster than iPad 4

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iPad Air airplane game app

Apple claims the A7 chip inside the iPad Air provides two times faster performance over its predecessor, the fourth-generation iPad driven by the A6X chip, in both CPU and GPU department. The claim exasperated disbelief among some watchers who questioned and dismissed Apple’s ‘two times faster’ mantra as pure marketing talk with strings attached.

Per early GeekBench scores, the iPad Air is over 80 percent faster than the iPad 4, close enough to Apple’s advertised 2x CPU gain. But what about graphics?... Read the rest of this post here


"iPad Air graphics rated up to 70% faster than iPad 4" is an article by iDownloadBlog.com.
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Apple renews contract with its mobile GPU provider, Imagination Technologies

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iPad Air promo (A7 closeup 001)

The fabless semiconductor maker, Imagination Technologies, has been providing Apple’s iPad and iPhone with its graphics and video hardware since 2007. On Thursday, the UK-based company announced extending its licensing agreement with Apple, giving the iPhone maker multi-year access to Imagination’s current and future PowerVR-branded graphics and video GPU blueprints.

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Both Apple and Intel are investors in Imagination, with the former holding a ten percent ownership stake in the company…... Read the rest of this post here


"Apple renews contract with its mobile GPU provider, Imagination Technologies" is an article by iDownloadBlog.com.
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Imagination spotlights likely iPhone 6 GPU: 192 cores, 4K resolution, smokes Tegra K1 violently

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Imagination Technologies PowerVR GX6650 (image 002)

Apple’s been using GPU parts from Imagination Technologies since switching to its own in-house designed iOS device processors, starting with the iPhone 3Gs in 2009. This UK-based firm does not churn out actual chips. Instead, it licenses out its GPU designs and intellectual property to vendors like Apple, Intel, Qualcomm and many others – that’s why “they” call it a fabless semiconductor maker.

Now, Apple’s engine that powers iOS devices typically combines Imagination’s GPU and ARM’s CPU blueprints with some memory, I/O logic and other supporting functions on a single die, a solution known in the semiconductor industry as a system-on-a-chip (SoC).

Moreover, both Apple and Intel own a stake in Imagination, another indication of its importance to Apple’s mobile future. See, Imagination’s PowerVR graphics processors coupled with Apple’s efficient mobile operating system have been largely responsible for the smooth graphics, transitions and animations seen throughout iOS. It’s the reason iOS is the smoothest mobile OS out there.

At CES earlier this year, Imagination unveiled a new GPU that we suspect should make its way into upcoming iOS devices. Today, the company is detailing some of its more intricate aspects and boy does it make our hearts sing: it supports 4K resolutions and outperforms even Nvidia’s upcoming Tegra K1, apparently enabling the most powerful graphics yet in mobile phones and tablets…... Read the rest of this post here


"Imagination spotlights likely iPhone 6 GPU: 192 cores, 4K resolution, smokes Tegra K1 violently" is an article by iDownloadBlog.com.
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2015 iPhones and iPads could achieve photorealism with ray-traced graphics from Imagination

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PowerVR GR6500 (raytracing 001)

Imagination Technologies, a fabless UK-based semiconductor maker, has been supplying PowerVR-branded mobile graphics IP for Apple’s in-house designed iDevice chips since the iPhone’s inception.

Detailed 3D graphics, speedy animations and smooth performance have always been one of the hallmarks of the iPhone and iPad so it’s no surprise that Apple is an investor in Imagination.

Following Imagination’s announcement of a next-generation PowerVR GX6650 GPU that promises to smoke graphics giant Nvidia’s own Tegra K1 mobile processor, Imagination yesterday said it is taking PowerVR graphics architecture to the next level by adding ray-tracing capabilities.

Apple likely won’t utilize this technique in its upcoming A8 chip for the iPhone 6 and 2014 iPads because Imagination’s technology won’t be making its way into products until 2015.

This means that come 2015, your iPhone and iPad could easily give dedicated game consoles a good run for their money graphics-wise, by supporting high-quality lighting and shadows, accurate transparency and photorealistic reflections…... Read the rest of this post here


"2015 iPhones and iPads could achieve photorealism with ray-traced graphics from Imagination" is an article by iDownloadBlog.com.
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Epic releases Metal-powered ‘Zen Garden’ demo free on App Store

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Epic Zen Garden (iPhone screenshot 001)

Demoed at WWDC back in June to show off the power of Apple’s new low-level graphics framework, Metal, Epic Games’ Zen Garden is now available to download on the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices running iOS 8 and powered by the Apple-deigned A7 or A8 processor.

Built on the recently-unveiled Unreal Engine 4, the first game engine with built-in support for the Metal API, Zen Garden classes as a technological showcase.

The latest iPhone 6, for example, renders the demo in a whopping 1,440-by-1,080 resolution at a smooth thirty frames per second.... Read the rest of this post here


"Epic releases Metal-powered ‘Zen Garden’ demo free on App Store" is an article by iDownloadBlog.com.
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Is your Mac able to take advantage of OS X El Capitan’s Metal?

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Metal OS X

When OS X 10.11 El Capitan launches this fall, it will feature Metal, a graphics framework Apple originally introduced for iPhones, iPads and iPods following the release of iOS 8 last fall. In addition to making El Capitan’s user interface and apps perform smoother than before, Metal for Mac is absolutely huge news for game developers and makers of graphics-intensive apps.

Like on iOS, El Capitan’s Metal significantly reduces the overhead of graphics frameworks such as OpenGL by enabling low-level access to your Mac’s graphics subsystem. Photo apps, games and video editing software like Adobe After Effects will experience up to ten times faster draw call performance by offloading certain tasks from the CPU onto the GPU.

But does your Mac sport modern hardware needed to support Metal’s features? It’s dead simple to determine this for yourself, here’s how.... Read the rest of this post here


"Is your Mac able to take advantage of OS X El Capitan’s Metal?" is an article by iDownloadBlog.com.
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Sketchy rumor claims Apple’s been secretly working on its own GPU for years

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ipad pro a9x

Apple is making its GPU to cut the cord from Imagination Technologies and has been secretly developing its own GPU in-house for a few years now. That’s what a sketchy rumor published Thursday by Fudzilla contends, citing sources in the graphics industry.

An in-house-designed GPU would let Apple reduce the cost of its own mobile chipsets further. More importantly, such a move would help it advance the iPhone and iPad’s graphics capabilities beyond what Imagination’s designs (that Apple licenses) permit.

For end users, this should result in an even smoother iOS and flashier graphics in games (the overhyped term “console-quality” comes to mind) with more realistic special effects.... Read the rest of this post here


"Sketchy rumor claims Apple’s been secretly working on its own GPU for years" is an article by iDownloadBlog.com.
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How to achieve faster video exports in Final Cut Pro X

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FCP X 10.2

One of the great things about Final Cut Pro X ($299 on Mac App Store) is that you can export high quality videos extremely fast, even on underpowered hardware. For example, my Late 2013 MacBook Pro with Retina display lacks a discrete GPU, but I can still export 4K videos with relative ease.

Some of the speed can be attributed to a technology of Intel’s called Quick Sync Video. Quick Sync is a hardware accelerator for H.264 encoding. It’s baked into Intel’s consumer line of chips, so ironically, it doesn’t apply to the beefier Mac Pro. Those machines are powered by professional grade Xeon chips that lack integrated graphics.

That means that even the 12″ MacBook, which is the most anemic piece of Intel-powered hardware currently available from Apple, can export 4K videos competently.

With all of that said, there are some things that you should know in order to fully take advantage of faster video encoding when exporting projects with Final Cut Pro X, and you can learn more in this post.... Read the rest of this post here


"How to achieve faster video exports in Final Cut Pro X" is an article by iDownloadBlog.com.
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Apple looking to buy troubled iPhone graphics provider Imagination Technologies

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iPhone 6s 4K video

Ars Technica reported this morning that Apple is in “advanced talks” regarding a possible takeover of British fabless semiconductor maker Imagination Technologies. The chip designer develops GPU blueprints that other companies license and incorporate into their own chips.

Apple owns at least a 9.5 percent stake in Imagination and has long used their PowerVR line of graphics-processing units (GPU) inside its own A-series processors since the emergence of the A4 chip, which powered the original iPad, the iPhone 4 and the fourth-generation iPod touch.... Read the rest of this post here


"Apple looking to buy troubled iPhone graphics provider Imagination Technologies" is an article by iDownloadBlog.com.
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Geekbench 4.0 launches with refreshed UI and new benchmarks

At the heart of iPhone 7 is a high-power and efficient A10 Fusion chip


Weight, size, and battery life: iPhone 7 vs iPhone 6s

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iPhone 7 vs iPhone 6s

Apple’s iPhone lineup just got even better as of Wednesday’s product unveiling. Not only are the devices super fast, more power-efficient, and available in new finishes, but they also come with a slew of new finishes that owners of previous-generations of iPhone will drool over.

In this piece, we’ll compare the iPhone 7 to the iPhone 6s so you have an idea of the differences in size, weight, and even their expected battery life.... Read the rest of this post here


"Weight, size, and battery life: iPhone 7 vs iPhone 6s" is an article by iDownloadBlog.com.
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iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus tech specs

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all iPhone 7 finishes

The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are Apple’s latest and greatest handsets that will be going on pre-order Friday, September 9th, and will be available for official purchase starting on September 16th.

Of course, before you go out and buy something new, it’s always great to do a little research on the hardware specs. In this piece, we’ll recap the specs of both Apple’s iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.... Read the rest of this post here


"iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus tech specs" is an article by iDownloadBlog.com.
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Apple Watch Series 2 tech specs

New Surface ad wants you to think that your Mac “ain’t fast enough”

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surface-pro-4-ad-macbook-air-image-001

It’s been only three days since Microsoft’s advertising department unleashed a new ad salvo at Apple’s direction in the form of a commercial for its Surface Pro 4 tablet/laptop hybrid and now it’s posted yet another video to conveniently reiterate its message ahead of iPhone 7’s launch tomorrow. Titled “Power of Touch”, the 30-second commercial doubles down on the ”the Mac lacks a touchscreen” theme.

Not only does Microsoft poke fun of the fact that Macs are long overdue for a refresh (yours supposedly “ain’t fast enough” lately), but also disses the Mac for not shipping with a detachable keyboard or a stylus.... Read the rest of this post here


"New Surface ad wants you to think that your Mac “ain’t fast enough”" is an article by iDownloadBlog.com.
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Apple hires COO and engineers from iPhone graphics provider Imagination Technologies

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Imagination Technologies PowerVR GX6650 (image 002)

Combing through multiple LinkedIn profiles, MacRumors has discovered that Imagination Technologies COO John Metcalfe left the company in June along with a bunch of engineers and is now listed as a Senior Director at Apple, where he started in July. Imagination GPUs are found in Apple’s in-house designed mobile chips for iOS devices.... Read the rest of this post here


"Apple hires COO and engineers from iPhone graphics provider Imagination Technologies" is an article by iDownloadBlog.com.
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